Improvement in reciprocating winnowers



' E. w. TILTON.

Reciprocating Winnnwers.

I Patented March 24,1874.

In; end-or: I 77. 7 mm.

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nmeeovzmenr m RECIPRGCATING WINNOWERS.

Sgecification forming part of Letters Patent'No. 149,003., dated March 24, 1874; application filed February 6, 1874.

. which- Figure l is a perspective view of my improved machine. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same; and Fig 3 is a plan view of the screen.

Similar letters of reference in the accompanying drawings denote the same parts.

My invention has for its object to improve the construction of that class of machines employed in cleaning and grading cranberries, grain, &c., in such manner as will render them simple and efficient in their operation, and capable of greater and more perfect adjustments than those heretofore constructed. To these ends my invention consists, first, in a screen composed of a number of parallel bars, separated and held in position by springs, and rendered adjustable by bolts passing through them transversely; secondly, in the mechanism employed for imparting to the screen a lateral vibratory motion.

In the drawings, B B represent parallel bars composing the screen, the same being providedat their extremities with holes or perforations for the reception of connectingbolts b b, and separated and held in position by spiral springs S placed between them, and surrounding said connecting-bolts. O G represent the side pieces or frame of the screen, one of which, 0, receives the heads of the connecting-bolts l) b, and is provided with pins or projections d d, fitting into corresponding recesses c c in uprights of the main frame of the machine, said pins affording hearings or supports for that side of the screen. The other side piece 0 is provided with projections or blocks D D, through which the screw-threaded ends of the connecting-bolts b. I) pass, the latter being held in position by nuts E E, secured to them and resting against said blocks. It will be seen by the above construction that the spaces or intervals between the bars of the screen may be increased or diminished, as desired, by merely tightening or loosening the nuts E E, the springs S maintaining said bars in their same relative position in all their adjustments. A rigid slotted arm, G, surrounded by a spring, 9, is fixed at or near the center of the side piece 0, and has its bearings in an upright, U, of the main frame, through which it also projects. The tendency of the spring g is to force the screen away from that side of the main frame. The screen is held in.an inclined position with its lower end resting upon a crosspiece, F, the latter also supporting a spout, f. A fan, H, situated within a drum, I, and mounted upon a shaft passing through the center of said drum, is placed at the rear end of the machine above the screen, the drum I being extended or lengthened at its bottom, in the usual manner, to more readily conduct the blast of air from the fan over the screen. To one end of the fan-shaft a pinion, K, is keyed, with which engages the driving-wheel 7c, operated by suitable power. The opposite end of the fan-shaft is provided with a crank, l, operating a pitman, L, the latter having a wed ge-shaped head, which plays in the slotted arm G of the screen. It is evident that when the pitman-head is forced into the slotted arm G it will act as a wedge and, overcoming the tension of the spring g, give the screen a lateral movement. when it is Withdrawn the spring g, being relieved of compression, regains its former position, carrying with it the screen, thus completing areciprocation of the latter. That side of the pitman-head bearing against the upright U is made preferably straight, the object of this construction being to keep the pitman in the same line in all its movements. This arrangement of mechanism for giving the screen lateral vibratory motion is very simple and efiicient, and does not easily get out of order. A hopper, J', mounted 011 the main frame, directly over the screen, is provided with a hinged inclined bottom or hopper-board, j, capable of being adjusted and held in position by a nut, O, resting on the top of the hopper, and engaging with a screwthreaded rod, 19, fastened to the free end of the board, thus providing means for regulating the supply to the screen of the article to be cleaned and graded.

The bars composing the screen being adjusted at suitable distances apart by the nuts E E, and the hopper-board placed in proper position, power is applied to the drivingwheel k, gearing with the pinion K on the fan-shaft, thus communicating motion to said shaft, and causing the pitman L to reciprocate, the wedge-shaped head of the pitman being altern ately forced into and withdrawn from the slotted arm Gr of the screen, and imparting to the latter, in connection with the spring g, a lateral vibratory movement. The cranberries are then placed in the hopper and fed from thence to the upper end of the vibrating screen, on which they fall, the blast from the fan removing all dust and light matter from them, the smaller berries being shaken through the screen, leaving only the larger ones, thoroughly cleaned, to pass down the screen and out at the spout f. The berries shaken through the screen in the first operation may be passed through a second time, the spaces between the bars of the screen being first lessened by tightening the nuts E E. By this arrangement any number of grades can be obtained.

The advantages of my machine over others in this particular are obvious. In other machines, in order to obtain difi'erentgrades different screens have to be used at each operation, while my screen, by being adjustable, renders the labor and inconvenience arising from the change of screens unnecessary.

My screen is especially designed for cleaning and grading cranberries; but can be used for cleaning beans and peas; also, for separating grains that have become mixed. It can be attached to fanning-mills of all kinds, and to thrashing-machines.

I claim as my invention- 1. A screen composed of a number of parallel bars, separated and held in position by springs, and rendered adjustable by bolts passing through them transversely, substan tially as described.

2. The wedge-shaped pitinan-head P, in combination with the slotted arm G, spring g, and a screen, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

EDWARD W. TILTON.

Witnesses:

JOHN HANCOCK, JOHN OWENS. 

